Kentucky and Arkansas staged a memorable basketball duel Saturday.
The competitive back and forth featured UK “big” Oscar Tshiebwe and Razorbacks guard JD Notae in starring roles.
Tshiebwe equaled a career-high of 30 points and grabbed 18 rebounds. That marked his 23rd double-double of the season, including his 11th straight.
Notae’s 30 points equaled the most by a UK opponent this season not named Scotty Pippen Jr., who had 32 and 33 earlier this season. Mississippi State’s Iverson Molinar also scored 30.
The exquisite possession-by-possession drama had 15 lead changes in the final 14-plus minutes. It seemed inevitable that the winner would be decided in the final minute, if not the final second.
Kentucky lost, 75-73.
Kellan Grady (aka “Steady Eddie”) put Kentucky ahead 70-69 on a corner 3–pointer with 2:19 left. It was his first basket and only his second shot attempt.
Arkansas went ahead 71-70 with 1:22 when “big” Jaylin Williams scored at the rim.
After Kentucky turned it over when Keion Brooks threw an elbow to free himself for an inbounds, Williams made two free throws with 36.6 seconds left.
Another free throw by Davonte “Devo” Davis with 13.9 seconds left added to the Razorbacks’ lead.
The Tshiebwe-Notae exchange eclipsed the return of UK guards Sahvir Wheeler and TyTy Washington to action after the pair sat out the last two games because of injuries.
Kentucky, which rallied from 11- and 13-point deficits to defeat LSU and Alabama in the last two games, came back from 13 points down in the first half.
UK fell to 23-6 overall and 12-4 in the Southeastern Conference.
Arkansas moved into a share of second place in the SEC by improving to 12-4 in league play and 23-6 overall.
For those who believe in moral victories, a 34-28 halftime deficit seemed like just that.
Kentucky made only 11 of 33 shots in the first half. Tshiebwe made 5 of 10 shots. His teammates made 6 of 23.
Wheeler and Washington combined to make only 2 of 11 shots.
Kentucky also missed all eight of its 3-point shots.
Throw in Notae’s 18 points, and it was no surprise Kentucky led for only 25 seconds in the first half. That’s because UK scored first.
Notae’s first basket put Kentucky behind for good at 4-2 with 17:18 left. That was part of a 15-0 Arkansas run of which he scored eight of the points.
The 15-2 early deficit matched Arkansas’ largest lead in the first half. It also marked Kentucky’s third-largest deficit of the season. UK trailed by 13 at Texas A&M. The only times Kentucky trailed by more came at Tennessee (20 points behind) and against Duke in the season opener (15 behind).
Kentucky called timeout with 16:52 left and the deficit at 7-2. That’s when Wheeler and Washington entered the game.
Tshiebwe was Kentucky’s offense for much of the first half. He scored UK’s first nine points and assisted on the next two baskets.
But that only kept Kentucky competitive.
Arkansas still led by 13 when Au’Diese Toney dunked with 4:09 left to put the Razorbacks ahead 32-19.
Arkansas only had one more basket the rest of the half on a basket by — who else? — Notae.
Tshiebwe and Wheeler accounted for a 6-0 UK run to close the half.
The second half began with a seeming omen of a Kentucky rally. Wheeler banked in a 3-pointer on UK’s first possession — at least the third time the Wildcats have banked in a 3 this season — to reduce the deficit to 34-31.
Kentucky took its first lead since 2-0 with 14:53 left. Brooks scored on a fast break after Trey Wade could not catch a pass at the top of the key.
Arkansas called a timeout.
The lead changed six times in the next two-plus minutes.
The back-and-forth had an ironic touch.
Williams, whose signature contribution is taking charges, picked up his third foul on a charge into Davion Mintz with 13:55 left. Twenty-six seconds later, Mintz was called for charging into Williams.
A Kentucky-Arkansas and Tshiebwe-Notae duel down the stretch seemed inevitable.
